TAMPA, Fla. - Manny Banuelos has been on the way back for a few months now.

Excuse him if Sunday didn't make it a bit more official - if only to himself.

The one-time top pitching prospect reached a series of minor milestones in his start Sunday for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against Double-A Trenton, a scrimmage game during the weekly Camp Day at the Yankees' minor league complex.

Banuelos threw 46 pitches over three innings - his longest outing since he had Tommy John surgery in 2012. He allowed two hits and struck out two, reaching 95 mph on the radar gun.

That was another first, and the first bit of news he volunteered to anybody at the complex willing to listen to it.

"I'm so excited. The arm feels great," he smiled. "That was a good outing for me."

The lefty once was considered one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball, a 20-year-old with a plus fastball and the command of it to make scouts consider him as a future top-of-the-rotation starter.

But he struggled with command issues during his 13 starts with the RailRiders in 2011 and 2012, when he uncharacteristically walked 29 batters in 58 innings. Ultimately, he couldn't throw his curveball without pain in his elbow, and he underwent the surgery in October 2012.

"The first thing I want to do is throw strikes, and with all my pitches, feel confidence," Banuelos said. "I started to get more confidence in the second inning. I'm starting to feel like I used to feel."

Where is he now?

Corban Joseph started Sunday's scrimmage at first base for the RailRiders, a day after he played his customary second base.

Expect him to be a bit more difficult to find in the field this season.

Joseph said the Yankees plan to try him a bit at third base and even in right field as the season progresses and concerns about his surgically repaired right shoulder alleviate.

Class act Carlos

In the midst of a busy final week of camp, Yankees minor leaguers had something to celebrate Sunday.

Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran organized a party for each minor leaguer in the organization at George M. Steinbrenner Field. On a note written to teammates and posted on the bulletin board of the Yankees' clubhouse, Beltran urged everyone to attend.

"We all know how much time, effort and sacrifice it took to achieve our dreams while playing through the minor league system, and how this continues even today," the note read. "I know it will be extremely special for them to share some time with us and learn about our experiences as we motivate them and encourage them to keep working hard to achieve their ultimate goal."

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